7. Between The Buttons (1967)

1967 must have been a weird year to be in the Rolling Stones. Brian Jones was fading and new commercial imperatives had come to the fore. The Stones were no longer a cover band, but they were still at the initial stages of cobbling together records that were wholly comprised of original material. Moreso than any other Stones record, on Between The Buttons you can hear the contemporary influences of the Kinks, the Who, and the Beatles make their mark. The overall effect is really cool and represents the band at some of its experimental best, featuring humorous skits between the atypically short tracks. And there are a couple of unimpeachable singles — “Let’s Spend The Night Together” and “Ruby Tuesday.” All of the songs on Between The Buttons are worth exploring: “Connection” is a perfectly unique Stonesy comedy combining friendship, romance, and the attempt to smuggle contraband, while “Yesterday’s Papers” is an acknowledgment and anticipation of psychedelia. On the whole, it’s an excellent, often underrated early Stones effort.